On June 5th 2018, the city of Katowice will host the European Investment Bank’s flagship 2018 conference on municipal financing.
Over the last decades, cities have been growing in terms of population and economy much more than the rest of the territory in Europe and have become true competitiveness, trade and high-end service hubs. However, cities also face difficult challenges, including social exclusion, budget cuts and pollution. The projected increase in urban population over the coming decades further accentuates these opportunities and challenges, as, indeed, illustrated by Katowice – a model of successful urban regeneration.
The conference, jointly organised by EIB and the City of Katowice, and entitled
‘Upgrade Your City: Investing in Smart and Sustainable Municipal Infrastructure in Central and Eastern Europe’
will spur a momentum towards smart city development. High-level panellists will elaborate how smart investment can address both the existing infrastructure gaps as well as unlock innovative potential. While the first panel session will address the financing gap from a political angle, the second and third thematic sessions will touch upon concrete ‘smart city’ initiatives and useful instruments for urban cities, including project preparation, advisory services and technical assistance, as well as new sources of financing.
There is a clear case for investment in urban areas in Europe. The financial crisis of 2008 took a heavy toll on public investment and continues to affect the municipal level today, hence increasing the role of public banks such as the EIB, which has a wealth of experience with various types of municipal projects and diverse financing structures. EIB is uniquely positioned to provide a platform for experience and best practice sharing and we welcome all public and private sector investors, policy makers, representatives of cities, international institutions, academia and industry as well as national banks, businesses and promoters.
The conference will close with B2B meetings where participants are given the unique opportunity to meet representatives of the organising institutions. There will also be stands to learn about investment solutions for public administrations, businesses and citizens.